Re: 02/17/2011 Peter Clarkson ( Australia ) *** Fatal ***

Colleagues of an abalone diver who was taken by two great white sharks off South Australia's Eyre Peninsula yesterday say they are shocked by the attack.

Peter Clarkson, who was killed by sharks in the waters of Coffin Bay.

Aircraft and boats with police and fisheries staff on board are searching for the body of diver Peter Clarkson, who was stalked and attacked as he surfaced from a dive near Coffin Bay at the peninsula's southern tip.

The skipper of the abalone boat witnessed the attack and police said he was still suffering from "significant shock" this morning.

Mr Clarkson grew up in Adelaide and had also lived at Esperance in Western Australia.

Abalone industry official Jonas Woolford thinks the attack will influence safety standards in the diving industry.

"This will have a major impact. It's extremely tragic to lose one of our own, and yeah, it's very upsetting," he said.

"I think every diver will be asking themselves the question, how can we do things safer?"

Inspector Glen Sickerdick from South Australian Police Communications says detectives will be conducting an investigation into the incident.

"At this stage we haven't recovered the body. The body didn't return to the surface once it was taken by the sharks," he said.

The area is known for sharks and there has been a big increase in shark sightings in recent weeks off the lower Eyre Peninsula.

Two weeks ago the ABC was told of one diver who ducked to avoid a five-metre white pointer and was brushed by the shark as it swam away.